HE KORERO | OUR STORIES

Kaumātua are the heart and soul of marae life and are often the ‘go to’ for guidance on kawa and tikanga. A new report written by NPM Fellow Dr Teorongonui (Josie) Keelan (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Awa, Tūhoe) highlights just how busy kaumātua are in serving their people.
 
“You’ll find them at all events, no matter what size, standing up for their people. They are the kaikaranga, kaikōreo, mātanga and tohunga who attend the dawn ceremonies on freezing cold mornings, the tangi, marae events, they sit on trust boards, and they are often the interface between their people and government agencies,” says Teorongonui.
 
Supported by NPM and The Family Centre, the study was undertaken to better understand the lives of kaumātua: how they serve their communities; their roles and responsibilities; how they pass on their knowledge; their concerns and worries; and support needs. Rather than do a broad-brush national approach, Teorogonui limited her study to kaumātua from Ngāti Whakaue. She says the amount of time, energy and commitment they give to support their marae, hapū and iwi is huge. “They show up rain, hail or shine for their people, but unfortunately, they often do not feel acknowledged for their unwavering commitment," says Teorongonui.

It is this commitment that underpins what it means to be a kaumātua, with those in the study drawing a distinction between koeke (elderly person) and kaumātua. “They were very clear that not everyone has the right to call themselves kaumātua because not everyone dedicates themselves in service the way they do,” says Teorongonui. 

Their concept of kaumātua included elderly Māori (both male and female) who were usually fluent speakers of te reo, well versed in waiata and stories of the iwi, knowledgeable of tikanga and and whakapapa (even if not fluent in te reo), had roles such as kaikōrero, kaikaranga, kaiwaiata and kaitautoko, and committed their time to represent the iwi. Not everyone possessed every skill but that did not matter so long as they were covered by the rōpū collectively.

A common theme from the study was the pride and joy that kaumātua felt about their mokopuna learning te reo. However, while te reo was flourishing, there were concerns that knowledge of tikanga and kawa was being lost.  “People are not coming to their marae in the same numbers as before and kaumātua are worried about this. People are having tangi at home because of the expense, but the tikanga around tangi in the home is not clear, and that is a concern for kaumātua,” says Teorongonui. 

She found that kaumātuatanga was a lifelong process of learning through observation and doing. The early steps tended to begin in the wharekai, learning the principles of awhi, tiaki and manaaki, later culminating in specific roles such as kaikaranga and kaikōrero.

Kaumātua felt that the ability to manaaki could diminish if whānau were not actively engaged with marae and developing the practical skills needed to organise and manaaki their own events like tangihanga and birthdays. “People don’t know how to plan menus or cook for hundreds of people, and they turn up to their own events expecting to be guests,” says Teorongonui.

She believes there are many opportunities to be creative and devise new ways to get whānau engaged with marae. Kaumātua saw much potential in marae-based wānanga, particularly for the transmission of tikanga and kawa.
 
Technology was less useful, with lack of access being a barrier for kaumātua. “They do not use email, preferring to read from a real piece of paper rather than from a screen. Because they are on fixed incomes, access to expensive computers, phones or the internet is not common, so they are using old phones that they can only call or text on. While it might change in the future, the current cohort of kaumātua are isolated by their lack of technological access and knowledge,” says Teorognonui.
 
Time spent with whānau was precious, with kaumātua saying that it gave them the most joy and meaning. “Almost every single one lived with whānau and that was something they liked, especially if there were mokopuna. Living with mokopuna gave them a sense of purpose and a reason for being,” says Teorongonui.
 
She believes there is a simple solution to make kaumātua feel more appreciated for the time and service they give to their people. “Younger generations need to just sit down and have a kōrero with them. Wānanga with them on a specific topic. Talk about the dreams they have for their whānau because they all have dreams about what they want for whānau. Then begin to work on those dreams – gather the rest of the whānau around to make their dreams come true.”